1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to non load-bearing partitions used in buildings, and in particular, to panels and panel methods involving panels with multiple layers.
2 Description of Related Art
The building of interior walls and other non-load-bearing walls is fairly time-consuming. A traditional method is nailing wooden top plates and bottom plates to ceilings and floors, respectively, before nailing to them a number of spaced, parallel studs. Plumbing and electrical lines are then routed through holes drilled in the studs, headers, and footers. This arrangement can then be covered with sheetrock (gypsum drywall) with apertures that allow access to the plumbing and electrical lines as needed.
In some settings, the studs, headers, and footers may be steel framing members especially adapted for this purpose. The metal studs may have punched holes to provide chases for utility lines (plumbing and electrical). Again, sheetrock can be installed over the metal studs with apertures to allow access to plumbing and electrical lines as needed.
These types of walls and partitions easily transmit sound. For this reason builders may install sound deadening material inside the wall or place such material on one of the surfaces of the wall.
Boards made from a magnesium oxide mineral (MgO boards) are sometimes used instead of sheetrock, and are sometimes used in exterior applications. MgO boards are fairly waterproof, fire resistant, and resistant to mold, fungus, and insects.
Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are commercially available and typically employ an insulating foam core sandwiched between facings made of oriented strand board (OSB).
See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,559,263; 4,572,857; 5,104,715; 5,351,454; 5,792,552; and 6,599,621; as well as US Patent Application Publication Nos. 2011/0268916; and 2015/0052838.